The incense culture has a long history, as early as the pre-Qin period, people burned plants with special smells or aromatic flavors directly.
In the Han Dynasty, incense became a favorite hobby of imperial concubines and civil and military officials, and gradually became a pleasant and elegant thing for literati. The Boshan furnace appeared during this period and was seen as a symbol of status and status.
In 1981, a gilded silver bamboo smoker unearthed near Maoling was considered a "national treasure" among "national treasures", and after being buried underground for more than 2,000 years, it still shines with gold and brilliance. This smoker shows the aesthetics of life in the Han Dynasty court.
Treasure Archive
Name: Gilded silver bamboo smoker
Grade: National first-class cultural relics
Year of birth: Western Han Dynasty
Land: Unearthed in 1981 in the Han Wu Emperor Maoling No. 1 Unknown Tomb No. 1 from the burial pit
Place of collection: Qinhan Pavilion of Shaanxi History Museum
The staff let the lingering fragrance in the furnace "wake up"
In the hot summer afternoon, the reporter walked into the "Technology and Beauty" special exhibition area of the Qinhan Hall of the Shaanxi History Museum. In the glass cabinet of position C in the exhibition area, it is the national first-class cultural relics "gilt silver bamboo smoker", which was unearthed in 1981 in the No. 1 unnamed tomb No. 1 from the burial pit of Emperor Maoling of the Han Dynasty. Compared with the Boshan furnace on display in the same exhibition hall, this smoker appears more "tall" and more refined. Although it has been buried underground for more than 2,000 years, it still shines with golden light, and it looks gorgeous and dazzling.
Shaanxi History Museum docent Ma Wei told reporters, the smoker is 58 centimeters high, the diameter is 9 centimeters, the bottom diameter is 13.3 centimeters, the base is carved with the head open, the handle is bamboo-shaped from the dragon's mouth stretching out, the bamboo is divided into 5 sections, the upper end is cast with 3 dragons, it is a mouth open-mouth neighing shape, looking back, the dragon body is gilded, the dragon's claws are gilded, the dragon's head is gilded, the lower end of the handle is connected to the circle foot, and the overall shape is just like a bud waiting to be released. The furnace body is Boshan shaped, the lower part is carved with a dragon pattern, the background color is gilt, the dragon body is gilded and prominent, the furnace cover adopts the most popular Boshan furnace shape in the Han Dynasty, the lid is carved out of a multi-layer mountain shape, there are gaps between the peaks, the spices are lit in the furnace body, and the cigarettes are scattered from the gaps in the lid and permeate the room.
Ma Wei said that the reason why there was a faint aroma overflowing in the exhibition area was because the staff let the residual fragrance in the furnace "wake up". The staff carefully selected the spices that had been unearthed in the Qin and Han dynasties and recorded in the historical books, collected them from Zhongnan Mountain, made them into incense, and let them be emitted through modern means. Therefore, the fragrance smelled by today's visitors is the fragrance smelled by the ancients more than 2,000 years ago, and even the fragrance smelled by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Princess Yangxin, and Wei Qing. Visitors admire this smoker more than 2,000 years ago, and for a moment, time seems to stop, and the relics are silent, but they are telling the stories that have been silent for thousands of years.
A tomb shaped like a sheep's head has unearthed a number of national treasures
The outside of the smoker mouth is engraved with an inscription: "The inner Weiyang is still lying on the golden bamboo slub smoker, and weighs ten catties, twelve or two years, and the official makes five years, October loses the first three", and the outside of the base circle foot is also engraved with the inscription "The inner Weiyang is still lying on the golden slub smoker, and weighs eleven catties, four years, the temple works for five years, and the fourth in October", which shows that this furnace was made by the palace. The staff told reporters that the "insider" is the subordinate official in charge of the daily life in the palace, and "Weiyang" should refer to the famous Weiyang Palace in the Han Dynasty. To sum up, the staff deduced that the first owner of this smoker was Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
However, the later owner of this smoker should be Princess Yangxin, because this smoker was unearthed in the nameless mound on the east side of Maoling in Douma Village, Xiwu Township, Xingping, archaeologists found the Wenshou furnace at the same time and place with the inscription "Yangxinjia Wenshou Furnace Cover", archaeologists speculated that this is the tomb of "Yangxinjia", and "Yangxin" should refer to Princess Yangxin, the sister of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Princess Yangxin is also known as Princess Pingyang, because her first husband was Pingyang Hou Cao Shou. Archaeologists speculate that this was a reward from Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to Princess Yangxin and her husband, the general Wei Qing.
The reporter saw an academic article signed by the Xianyang District Cultural Management Association and the Maoling Museum, which detailed the excavation of "Shaanxi Maoling No. 1 Unknown Tomb No. 1 from the Burial Pit". It is mentioned in this article that about 2 kilometers to the east of Maoling, there are five tall nameless mounds in parallel, from west to east, the westernmost one is numbered as the No. 1 mound, and the easternmost one is numbered as the No. 5 mound, of which the No. 5 mound is the "Huoguang Tomb" called by Bi Yuan, the governor of Shaanxi in the Qing Dynasty. And the No. 1 mound sealed mound is the largest, 95 meters long from north to south, 64 meters wide from east to west, 22 meters high, because the mound is shaped like a sheep's head, the south end is tall, the north end is low and small, the local people call it "sheep's head mound". In 1981, when the members of the Douma Brigade of Xingping Dongwu Commune leveled the land 60 meters south of the No. 1 Anonymous Tomb, they found a burial pit (numbered as the No. 1 Pit), and the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau immediately organized excavations and carried out a large-scale exploration work around the No. 1 Anonymous Tomb, and learned that there were still 38 pits and 4 tombs around. The gilded silver bamboo smoker was excavated in the No. 1 pit, and many national treasure-level cultural relics such as gilded bronze horses and warm hand furnaces were unearthed at the same time.
Whose grave is the "sheep's head mound"? Experts speculate that it should be Princess Yangxin's, but after all, no epitaph was found, so there has been controversy. However, in the information consulted by the reporter, many researchers have already determined that this is the tomb of Princess Yangxin.
It can be called "the crystallization and model of Han Dynasty ideology, culture and art"
During the interview, the reporter specially asked the commentator Ma Wei whether there were traces of incense ash or burning spices found when the smoker was unearthed, and he said no. Perhaps after thousands of years, many traces have dissipated, and the cultural relics are silent, but when they see the light of day, the past will finally be re-revealed. The staff told reporters: "The gilt silver bamboo smoker is not only a classic in the Boshan furnace of the Han Dynasty, but also a vivid reproduction of the imperial power consciousness and immortal thought of the Han Dynasty, and the product of the interweaving and integration of Confucianism, fairy magic and foreign culture in the political environment of 'great unification'." After the continuous accumulation of 'recuperation' and recuperation in the Wen and Jing dynasties, the Han Dynasty finally swept away the poverty and weakness at the beginning of the establishment of the Han Dynasty during the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and a prosperous era in the history of the mainland appeared.
The stable political situation and developed social economy laid a solid foundation for the development and prosperity of ideology and culture during this period. During this period, Han culture presented an eclectic and colorful pattern and characteristics. The inclusiveness, richness and innovation of Han culture are also fully reflected in the work of gilt silver bamboo smoker, which has a profound cultural connotation and can be called "the crystallization and model of Han Dynasty thought, culture and art." ”
Huashang Daily Gale News reporter Wang Qiang Liang Junjie